Let's hope people have the inside track on winning the lottery since it seems that many of them cash out their 401(k)s upon leaving their jobs for a new one, buying things like cars, jewelry and vacations.
The good news is that the percentage of people so doing has dropped from about 25 percent two decades ago to just 7.5 percent in 2012, according to data compiled by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).
Upon leaving the employment of one company for another, people have the option of cashing out (and paying taxes on the proceeds), rolling the funds over to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA), leaving the account intact (but under the control of the former employer), or if the new employer allows, folding everything into the new company's 401(k).
The percent of employees rolling the funds into IRAs has remained virtually unchanged throughout the decades at about 45 percent, EBRI reports.